Customer Reviews

Sea of Faces

5 star:		(65)
4 star:		(18)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

Kutless is:Jon Micah Sumrall(vocals), Ryan Shrout(guitar), James Mead(guitar), Kyle Zeigler(bass) and Kyle Mitchell(drums)

I like different types of Rock/Alternative, and to be honest, I wasn't sure if I'd like this CD. It's a bit softer than my usual stuff. But it's still a very good, positive CD. And, Kutless are now one of my favorites, and my review below will show you why.

My Grading System:I like to grade my reviews a bit different than all the rest. I'm using As, Bs, Cs, and so on. Also, instead of breaking it down song by song or rating it overall, I review four parts of the CD that I think are important:the Vocals, the Music, the Lyrics and an overall grade.

The Vocals:Jon Micah Sumrall is a very good, polished singer. Vocally this album is very solid and boy, does this guy have talent. Yes, he's been compared to Scott Stapp(ex-Creed lead singer) but the truth is, he is not Stapp. He's much different. On songs like "Sea of Faces" and "All the words" his voice is very soft, and good. And on more aggressive songs like "Let You In" and "Treason" it's rougher, just like it needs to be. He's got very good range. Sumrall's voice is also much more polished than it was on the first album, and he no longer screams/shouts like he did on some of the songs off the first album. Vocally, he's improved alot and I can't find much, if anything, wrong with his voice.

Grade:A-

Lyrics:Sumrall writes the lyrics for this band. Speaking from a Christian perspective, these lyrics are great. They're positive, catchy and are just really good. Being a Christian, I can relate to these lyrics very easily. Sumrall tackles many different topics on this album in the songs, with "Better for You" being about the peer pressure to have sex and "Treason" being about not living like a Christian. "Passion" is about Jesus Christ's death and sacrifice and "All the words" is a very nice worship song.

Grade:A-

The Music:The music on this album is very, very solid. It's much better than the music on the first album, and the addition of an acoustic guitar on some tracks helps. Sumrall's vocals fit in perfectly with the music of Ryan Shrout, James Mead, Kyle Zeigler and Kyle Mitchell. The two guitarists do some very good work on this album, as does the drummer and bassist. The tunes on here are very catchy and really fit the lyrics good. There aren't any solos(that I can think of) on this album, but that doesn't matter. It should be mentioned that a guy from Demon Hunter does some guest work on the hardest track on the CD, "Let You In". The album is more diverse than the first and goes from being rock, to alternative, to softer stuff. They've improved very much musically from the first CD. Musicially, this album is real good.

Grade:B+

Overall:I am blown away by how good this album truly is. This was the first Kutless album I picked up and I fell in love with it right away. It's an awesome album with an awesome message behind it. This CD alone made me a big fan of Kutless. I highly recommend picking this thing up and giving it a listen. If you like good rock/alternative with a positive, Christian message behind it, buy this and you definitely will not regret it.

Overall grade:A

Standout tracks:"Not what you see", "Better for you", "Let you in", "Sea of Faces", "All the words".

One of the things that puzzles me about people who turn their nose up at Christian music, is they claim to not want to be "preached to" in the music they listen to. Problem is, a good portion of popular secular music is preaching as well, just not about God or Christianity. Many bands pound into our heads songs about sadness, homelessness, poverty and other social ills.

I must say that 10-15 years ago, good Christian music (for rock fans) was hard to find. You can praise God as much as you want, but bad music is bad music. Even the good music was poorly produced. It wasn't until bands like DC Talk and Jars of Clay for example started to break through, into the mainstream, that things really started to change.

Now, bands like Switchback are enjoying widespread mainstream appeal, and I suspect many other bands will follow. For whatever reason, rock stations are very hesitant to play Christian music as they feel it will alienate listeners. That is such nonsense. Good music is good music. If it's good, people will listen.

Kutless is one band that I suspect will cross over at some point. They are really good, and yet the are all young (the 'oldest' members will turn 25 this year). I expect many good things from them. What I like most about them is that they are not afraid to be bold about their love of God and Jesus in their music, but can still rock hard and seem to have a great time doing it. As for specifics:

The Music - Excellent. Kutless has a sound that gradually at times moves from very hard rock into alternative and then into slower and tender melodies. Unfortunately, Kutless is one of the very many bands these days that seemed to have done away with the guitar solo. But that's a minor quibble. Overall, the guitar work is done very well and Kyle Mitchell, the drummer is a standout as he is able to keep everything tight but still stand out with his fills and beats.

Vocals & Lyrics - Jon Micah Sumrall wrote all of the lyrics and his passion for the Lord is evident. He's a bold writer in that he's not afraid to write songs from Christ's perspective (as in 'All Alone'). It's great and it's a good way to reach listeners. Sumrall also writes for a younger generation that often has to deal with peer pressure ('Better For You') and offers up a powerful song about Christ's crucifixion how we can take comfort in His pain. Sumrall has an amazing voice. He's been compared to Scott Stapp of Creed, but I think that's a poor comparison. Stapp has a good voice, but his range is limited whereas Sumrall can take his voice down and make it very soft at times and quickly turn up the power.

As far as I am concerned, this is a great CD, whether you're a Christian or not. Play a few songs for your friends who might otherwise not bother with Christian music. When they tell you how much they're enjoying it, tell them what it is.

This has a very enjoyable sound with solid lyrics. I recommend it.

I am not a big hard rock fan, but this is good stuff. It is not so hard that the lyrics are undecipherable as is the case with so many hard rock groups. It is not only possible to understand the lyrics, but they are positive and powerful.

There are a few mellower songs on this album and even an excellent praise and worship song, "All The Words".

Any fan of harder rock will probably really enjoy this CD. Even those of us who are not hard rockers can appreciate it. If you have a teenager who likes harder rock, this would be a great CD to buy him/her. The solid Christian lyrics combine with the music to make it a very good collection.

This is one of the best Christian bands out there. Let me tell you about each song.

#1 Not What You See: a hard rocking first song that just gets you pumped for the rest of the cd.

#2 All Alone: a song that says you need Jesus to survive in this world.

#3 Better For You: this song says that although the right thing seems to be wrong, in the end you'll feel good that you did it anyway.

#4 Sea Of Faces: this is one of my faverite songs ever. It is a little slower than the rest of the songs, but it is just awesome.

#5 Let You In: The hardest song on the cd. It talks about how if we let Jesus in our hearts, it takes a huge load off our backs.

#6 Passion: at the end of the song the singer says "in my heart I know that you'er the only one who could have came and died. A sacrifice that you're Gods only son.

#7 Perspectives: I'm not sure what Kutless is trying to say hear. They might be saying that there are people with bigger problems than you.

#8 Treason: a song that says we give God our lives, but don't live like it. My faverite line is " your blood it covered all my sin. You change your traiter into kin.

#9 All The Words: The praise and worship song on this cd. It is a very good slower song.

#10 Troubled Heart: a good song if your feeling down and depressed. It says that no matter what you're feeling, God understands.

#11 It's Like Me: The last song on this cd. It talks about feeling scared about talking to other people about Christ. But when you finally share you will be saving lives.

This is one of my top 5 bands I just can't get tired of hearing. If you like Christain rock, you'll love this. It may not appeal to you the first time, but give it a couple of listens, and you probly will like it.

All pun intended. This album flat out rocks! When I was shopping today, I totally forgot this CD had come out. I saw it in the new release section and quickly picked it up along with The Passion of The Christ soundtrack and Blindside's new one. These are all good CDs but let's talk about Kutless now. I've been waiting for a new Kutless CD because I was slightly disappointed with the debut. I was expecting hardcore metal like Living Sacrifice. But I listened to it more and more and enjoyed it every time. Now this new CD is out, I love them even more. I heard Treason on the radio here in CA and thought that they have evolved their sound a little. Not a big drastic change like P.O.D., but a change nonetheless. I don't care what my friends say about Christian music, I think this is the best music in the world, and it is because of bands like Kutless, that I can say this. Don't listen to your friends who say Christian music sucks, buy this CD and show them how un-sucky it sounds!

Incredible. These boys did it again. Their debut was a strong one and I did not think the second album would be as powerful. However, they did just that with this powerful, emotional rock record. I literally cried driving home with this CD listening to the song "SEA OF FACES". The lyrics show a step up in spiritual maturity. I took one star off because of 1 or 2 songs that will take time to grow on me.

If you liked their debut, run out and get this one.

I have only been a Kutless fan for about a month, but I am already addicted to their songs and the message in their cd's. If you like Switchfoot, you will love this band. I recommend getting both cd's, they are both excellent. Full of life, spirituality and God. I have been a Christian for about 4 years, but just recently connected back to the church. It really helps to have cd's like this when you are driving. Get their cd's and sit down and read along with the lyrics, you will cry on a few, guaranteed.

Keep up the good work Kutless and may God be with you all.

This is a great band with 2 amazing albums. If you like energetic, driving music with great heavy guitars and powerful lyrics, you should give this group a listen. I can honestly say that there isn't a single weak song on this CD, and you'll find yourself constantly replacing everything else in your CD player... wanting to hear Kutless instead.

I have been a fan of Kutless since I saw live last year. I went out and bought their first album, I hated it at first, but it grew on me in time, however, it was NOTHING outstanding. Especially when compared to "Sea of Faces". The growth on this album is unbelievable. If you have never heard Kutless, I suggest starting here, and if you like, gowing back to their next album only to see their growth, because in all honesty, the ONLY great song on it was "Run", which is an amazing song, but this album has 11 AMAZING songs!!! This one also took some time to grow on me, but I could tell right away that it was much different, and far outstripped their first album.

Before I continue, I would just like to say that even though Kutless is a Christian band, I believe anyone can enjoy this album, it is truly a masterpiece, and SHOULD be enjoyed by all. :D

The album starts off with a kick with "Not what you see", a song that has inspired me to rethink my own actions as a fellow Chrstian. :) One of my favorites off the disc. To tell you the truth, its VERY hard for me to give you a "best tracks" list, because their all so awesome. And I'm just telling you the truth. If you can enjoy this music, maybe you're a little to uptight? Because this is some of the best stuff I've heard since U2's "Achtung Baby" and Van Morrison's "Moon Dance"(Two of my favorite records). I know that sounds crazy, but I rarely hear a record that I cannot only listen to and enjoy through and through, but get something new out of it everytime I listen, that's a RARE find indeed. And I just hope you all can enjoy this record the way I did. :)

God Bless & *enjoy* ~Amy

This cd is a must have for any christian rock fan!
Kutless Rocks!